Thane: Excavator operator booked for Bhiwandi wall collapse

Thane: A case has been registered against an unidentified backhoe excavator operator by the Shanti Nagar police in Bhiwandi, following a wall-collapse while the protective wall of a marriage hall was being demolished.

Five persons including four children were injured in the incident. Meanwhile, Bhiwandi Nizampura Municipal Corporation (BNMC) officials have not made any complaint regarding the incident and said they were unaware of the demolition order.

The Bhiwandi-Nizampura Municipal Corporation (BNMC) administration, the civic body has not made any complaint regarding the wall. The officials from BNMC said that they do not know anything about the order of demolition of the protective wall.

Ijaz Ahmed, a resident of Bhiwandi, said, "Realising the needs of the local citizens, the BNMC built a platform and a protective wall in the open ground of Hazrat Khwaja Garib Nawaz marriage hall at Chavan colony ten years ago. The wall was damaged and a fund for the reconstruction of the wall a local development fund of the local MLA Raees Sheikh, was approved."

Ahmed further added, " The officials from BNMC are saying that they still don't know who exactly was demolishing the wall. Also, no task order was given regarding the construction of a new protective wall in this regard. We are of the opinion that the officials from civic body are deliberately keeping silent about whole issue."

Omprakash Divte, additional commissioner of Bhiwandi -Nizampura Municipal Corporation (BNMC) clarified and said that, "The tender process for the construction of the marriage hall and protective wall at the said spot is at the preliminary stage and the tender has not yet been completed. So there was no question of demolishing the protective wall."

Shital Raut, senior police inspector, Shanti Nagar police station, Bhiwandi, " Based on the complaint filed by local resident, Nizamuddin Mohar Ali Ansari, we have registered a case against unidentified JCB driver."